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Anatomy of a Start-Up:
No Experience Required

By

Alessandra Bianchi Inc. Online

Updated Sept. 18, 1997 2:53 p.m. ET

On a sparkling fall morning in downtown Portland, Ore., the eight employees of Oregon Chai Inc. sit around a table at a prominent law firm, contemplating the difference between "efficiency" and "effectiveness." To illustrate the distinction, Oregon Chai's chairman, Rex Bird, shares a parable about two people sawing wood. The first saws furiously, never taking a break. The second pauses every 10 minutes or so to sharpen his blade. "If we don't take time out to sharpen the saw, we can't cut as much...